The Dresden initiative

Jeff and Anne Ingram have been planting churches in Germany for over 16 years. They have been in Dresden for the last 4 years, planting 2 churches. They meet in homes and rent meeting spaces when needed.

While establishing church leadership occupies a lot of their time, they also teach through alpha course and volunteer at the local refugee center. Recently, the Ingrams were featured in a local paper. Jeff was quoted as saying: "We see ourselves not only as a church for Christians but also for people who do not know God and are looking." Since then, strangers have approached them with interest in their churches and in their beliefs.

Why Dresden?

TEAM's Mission: "Mobilizing disciples from anywhere to serve everywhere, we focus strategically and collaboratively to plant churches where the most need exists. We employ technology and other material resources to help us be the hands and feet of Christ, but we are unashamedly incarnational, because we believe there is no substitute for real hands and feet on the ground."

Germany is among the most atheistic countries in the world, according to the Washington Post.

DID YOU KNOW...

There are only 1,740,880 evangelical Christians in Germany. That's 2.1% of the German population.

There are 12,507,182 evangelical Christians in Uganda, which has less than half of the entire population of Germany. That's 37% of the Ugandan population.

11,558,344 people in the Philippines call themselves an evangelical Christian. That's 17% of their population.

Even 5.7% of the population of China (75,399,270) call themselves evangelical Christians.

The US claims 91,764,554 evangelical Christians, which is 28.9% of our population.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in Germany.

Why are there so few?

It's not because of limited access to biblical materials.

In fact, Germany has a rich history of making the Gospel known to all nations. In the year 1517, Luther stood up to the leaders of the Catholic church. He made it clear that salvation could not be earned, or purchased. Salvation was given to us by grace alone. This message began a reformation of the church. (Wiki Link)

Ten years after reunification, pastors and politicians alike are just beginning to realize the extent of the social disaster 56 years of Nazi and communist atheism have wrought upon eastern Germany. It drove away the elite. It created a monstrous youthful subculture brought up without religious and family values in soulless, gray, socialist housing estates.

— http://www.worldmag.com/2000/10/minefield_to_mission_field

after 15 years, the "subculture" of young people became adults.

News from DRESDEN AND EASTERN GERMANY:

East Germany world's most Godless area

The former East Germany is officially one of least religious places on the planet, with more than half of people living there saying they do not believe in God.

Beliefs about God across Time and Countries

"Atheism ranges from 52% in the former East Germany to less than 1% in the Philippines.

Second World War Still Key to German Identity

Seventy years after the end of the Second World War, Germans still feel that they deal with its legacy in everyday life, a survey published on Tuesday shows.

Is Germany too powerful for Europe?

Twenty years ago, Germany's economy was stagnating. Today, as the eurozone crisis deepens, this giant is keeping Europe afloat. But what does it want in return?

Thousands form human chain in Dresden

Thousands of people gathered in Dresden on Thursday night to remember the destruction of the city by Allied bombers in World War II. For the first time in more than a decade neo-Nazis stayed away from the memorial.

Thousands protest asylum policy in Dresden

More than 7,000 opponents of Germany's policy towards asylum seekers marched in the eastern city on Monday evening.

Merkel says Islam 'belongs to Germany'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday Islam "belongs to Germany", in a clear repudiation of anti-immigration protesters gathering in Dresden and other cities.

In German City Rich With History and Tragedy, Tide Rises Against Immigration

For the past seven Mondays, people have taken up the battle cry of East Germans protesting their Communist government 25 years ago — “Wir sind das Volk!” (“We are the people!”) — and fashioned it into a lament about being overlooked by political leaders of the present.

'Xenophobes' are one third of Pegida: study

Around a third of Pegida members are “far-right nationalist xenophobes”, a study from the Technische Universität (TU) Dresden published on Tuesday found.

Dresden asylum camp cleared after neo-Nazi attack

An asylum camp set up in front of Dresden's Semperoper opera house has been cleared. Refugees and supporters moved just a day after radical PEGIDA members and neo-Nazis attempted to storm the site.

Is Revival Emerging in Germany?

Spiritual complacency rules in Germany, where most Christians seem more concerned with planning their next vacation than a move of God. But an influx of foreign Pentecostals shows early signs of reawakening the German church.

Germany Anti-Migrant Protest

Every Monday evening in Dresden, thousands gather in front of the city's opera house. They carry German flags and sing nationalist songs with one goal: to stop refugees and migrants from coming to Germany.

Pegida Marks First Year (Video)

Not All Germans Like EU's Open Borders (Video)

Refugee Crisis: How Germany Rose to the Occasion

More than 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) will now be set aside to house and care for 800,000 new refugee applicants this year. Germany may even take in another 500,000 for several years to come.

Dresden Riots

Police said protesters shouting "Foreigners out" and carrying banners against the "Asylum flood" threw bottles and stones at busloads of asylum seekers arriving in Heidenau, near Dresden.

Angela Merkel's Humane Stance on Immigration

"There can be no tolerance of those who question the dignity of other people," she said, standing in front of placards accusing her of being the people's traitor.

German Pro-Immigrant Protest

Thousands of people took to the streets of the German city of Dresden on Saturday to send a message of welcome to the refugees after a string of violent anti-migrant protest in the region.

Hundreds of Muslim Refugees Convert to Christianity

Pastor Gottfried Martens has seen his congregation at The Evangelical Trinity Church grow from 150 to more than 600 in just two years, describing the number of conversions as a 'miracle,' according to associated press.